Galatasaray prepare Fernandes bid as Barcelona circle Rashford again before United's opener

Manchester United are bracing for a £43m bid from Galatasaray for captain Bruno Fernandes, while Barcelona have not entirely closed the door on re-signing Marcus Rashford — all with four days until Michael Carrick’s side open their Premier League campaign against Hull City.

Galatasaray target Fernandes

The Telegraph reports that Galatasaray are prepared to double Fernandes’ current wages in an attempt to lure the Portuguese playmaker to Istanbul. The Turkish club are said to be readying a formal offer of £43m for the 30-year-old, whose release clause for foreign clubs — set at £55.6m — expired in July.

United are expected to reject any approach outright. Multiple outlets have described Fernandes as completely untouchable to Carrick’s rebuild, and BBC Sport suggests Galatasaray would be wasting their time. Juventus and AC Milan have also been mentioned as clubs monitoring the situation, though no concrete bids from either have been reported. Fernandes’ contract runs until 2027.

Barcelona’s Rashford rethink

Rashford returned to United training on 9 August following England’s World Cup campaign and featured in the 4-2 pre-season defeat to AC Milan. His summer had appeared to reach a quiet conclusion after Barcelona chose not to activate the £26m purchase option on his loan, instead spending £70m on Anthony Gordon from Newcastle and signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund.

However, TEAMtalk reports that Barcelona remain in contact with Rashford’s representatives and have not ruled out a dramatic late move. The 28-year-old impressed during his time in La Liga, and the Catalan club are said to be continuing to assess their attacking options ahead of the window’s close.

A window still in flux

United have made three senior signings this summer: Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £50m, free agent Karl Darlow from Leeds United, and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m. Carrick’s first pre-season in charge produced two wins, two defeats and two draws, with the final friendly ending in a 4-2 loss to AC Milan — then managed by former United head coach Ruben Amorim — in Poland.

With under two weeks remaining in the transfer window, the futures of both Fernandes and Rashford are unlikely to be resolved quickly, leaving United to navigate the opening weeks of the Premier League season amid significant uncertainty over two of their most prominent players.